Rural broadband 4g 700mhz

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Rural broadband 4g 700mhz

beehappy

104 posts

Master Geek

#177195 26-Jul-2015 09:15

Hi

Has anyone any idea of a time frame for the launch of this service
after the initial announcements things have been fairly quiet, I have tried searching for info but even that is fairly sparse.
Going from the map on the spark web page 4g 700mhz is live and we have good coverage so hoping it is going to be released soon.

Many thanks Pete

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13941 posts

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#1351861 26-Jul-2015 10:38

I'd like to know too, I have a cousin who lives in a rural area who could make good use of this service.

DarkShadow

1647 posts

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#1351865 26-Jul-2015 10:59

Put your name down on the registration form here.

sbiddle

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#1351884 26-Jul-2015 11:38

I don't want to sound synical but the Spark announcement seemed like one that was happened solely to try and compete with Vodafone at RBI as they launched their new DC RBI offering a few days later at Fieldays, and that is now live and available to customers.

JoeJoe

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1352256 27-Jul-2015 08:15

I spoke to some sort of support person from Spark on Friday using their live online chat accessible from their broadband webpages, and they still won't give a date for the 4G 700 rural broadband service starting (I'm a business customer too, not just domestic). They went off and spoke to a supervisor and came back and said that the trials they were running have ended (I had asked if we could join a trial of the service since I knew they had been running trials), and then said that I shouldn't have to wait long now, which was of course pretty much completely useless information since they refused to in any way define what sort of timescale "wouldn't have to wait long now" is.

Oh well, the frustrating wait with ever worsening copper ADSL speeds continues. After school, weekends, and during the recent school holidays we are often down to 0.25 - 0.5 Mbps now. At good times we get 1.5 - 2.5 Mbps. We are rural but only about 2 kms from the exchange in town.

So frustrating when according to the coverage maps we are in a good Spark 4G 700 zone.

Cheers

sbiddle

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#1352257 27-Jul-2015 08:20

JoeJoe: I spoke to some sort of support person from Spark on Friday using their live online chat accessible from their broadband webpages, and they still won't give a date for the 4G 700 rural broadband service starting (I'm a business customer too, not just domestic). They went off and spoke to a supervisor and came back and said that the trials they were running have ended (I had asked if we could join a trial of the service since I knew they had been running trials), and then said that I shouldn't have to wait long now, which was of course pretty much completely useless information since they refused to in any way define what sort of timescale "wouldn't have to wait long now" is.

Oh well, the frustrating wait with ever worsening copper ADSL speeds continues. After school, weekends, and during the recent school holidays we are often down to 0.25 - 0.5 Mbps now. At good times we get 1.5 - 2.5 Mbps. We are rural but only about 2 kms from the exchange in town.

So frustrating when according to the coverage maps we are in a good Spark 4G 700 zone.

Cheers

Are you in an RBI coverage area? Why not just move to that now?

staticnz

151 posts

Master Geek

#1352418 27-Jul-2015 11:11

Spark's plans are now live online - http://www.spark.co.nz/shop/internet/rural/

JoeJoe

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1352451 27-Jul-2015 11:58

sbiddle:

Are you in an RBI coverage area? Why not just move to that now?

Hi sbiddle,

No, only option apart from our copper ADSl is 4G 700 or some other wireless solution. There is a fibre cable up our road but not due to be implemented for some time, another year or more.

I could I think go to Vodafone 4G rural tomorrow but have other reasons staying with Spark works best for us, as much as don't like the company in many ways.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

Oh and there isn't good news for me on the new webpage where you can I think now buy the new 4G rural service, as of today. It says not available at our address! Their coverage maps show us in a good spark 4g 700 area so perhaps they are only releasing the product it in some regions at first. That is not good news and the support person I spoke to on Friday knew where I am but didn't mention that. They just said I shouldn't have to wait long for the 4G 700 product.

Cheers.

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coffeebaron

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#1352460 27-Jul-2015 12:13

No map overlay for checking coverage footprint.

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JoeJoe

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1352469 27-Jul-2015 12:22

Well go figure!

Last week our only option with Spark was ADSL, now this week their website says we can't have the 4G 700 service at our rural address (on the new webpage where you order that product as from today), but on our myspark "upgrade your broadband page" it now says we can have VDSL at our address, which definitely wasn't there as an option last week.

So, I may have a workable upgrade option with Spark finally, if that page isn't telling me fibs! I'll go investigate further.

Cheers.

traderstu

332 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1352482 27-Jul-2015 12:26

I got a bit excited too. It said we could get VDSL where we are building a new house. Went to there online chat and had it confirmed that we can only get ADSL. Seems the map is a bit flakey.

JoeJoe

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1352490 27-Jul-2015 12:42

traderstu: I got a bit excited too. It said we could get VDSL where we are building a new house. Went to there online chat and had it confirmed that we can only get ADSL. Seems the map is a bit flakey.

I'll try ordering the upgrade to VDSL from the myspark page where it gives me that option and see where it leads. I see on the Chorus coverage map that a week ago showed us as only having the >1 Mbps coverage it now also shows us having Broadband to >20 Mbps coverage. Will try to contain my excitement until I check this out.

Cheers.

cbrpilot

955 posts

Ultimate Geek

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Spark NZ

#1352575 27-Jul-2015 14:15

Just a word of caution: we do not guarantee any Broadband service (incl VDSL) until it is installed.
Chorus' prequalification data can be patchy for a proportion of addresses (which has a higher impact on VDSL installations), and there is a non-zero percentage of installs where the Chorus technician arrives at site, does some testing and works out that VDSL is not available at that address.

Here's hoping that you can get it!

My views are my own, and may not necessarily represent those of my employer.

grant_k

3539 posts

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#1352587 27-Jul-2015 14:34

traderstu: I got a bit excited too. It said we could get VDSL where we are building a new house. Went to there online chat and had it confirmed that we can only get ADSL. Seems the map is a bit flakey.

That map is a total joke! I know from talking to the local Chorus guy that we could maybe get ADSL with a max. speed of 1Mbps, but the map says we can get VDSL! What a laugh...

beehappy

104 posts

Master Geek

#1352668 27-Jul-2015 15:43

Thanks for all your replies
Typical I put off posting this question until yesterday and it starts today.

thanks for the link staticnz

http://www.spark.co.nz/shop/internet/rural/

it shows we are able to get this very keen to give it a try
once again thanks
Pete

coffeebaron

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#1352698 27-Jul-2015 16:56

Have checked a few of my customer addresses, all within Spark L700 coverage and rural locations. None can get service! Hmmm

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